Proofing Dry Yeast

[blankd]

Starting go get into home brewing and I have a question about proofing dry yeast.

Re-hydrating dried yeast seems to follow the following procedure.

1) boil one cup of water, allow it to return to about 100 deg and stir in yeast.
2) Wait 15 minutes.
3) Proof by added a teaspoon of sugar (corn I assume) or dried extract (not sure what kind) with a small amount of boiled water (no idea how much)
4) Wait 30 minutes and ready to pitch.

My question is about step three. Why not add the sugar into the original cup of water. If there's a good reason for the proofing, what amounts and how does the sugar get sanitized.

 

[owmatooth]

my experience is to just go ahead and direct pitch the yeast into a cooled wort. Danstar even recommends this. it eliminates the real possibility of infection during rehydration. dehydrated yeast is really designed for it. just my experience though. I pitched a nottingham on friday night at 7pm and had pleanty of krausen and bubbling by 8 am the next morning when i checked back on it.

 

[McGarnigle]

I always re-hydrate dry yeast, but have never adding sugar as in Step 3.

Fermentis seems to agree:
http://www.brewwithfermentis.com/tips-tricks/yeast-rehydration/

 

[z-bob]

I usually rehydrate a packet of yeast in 4 ounces of bottled water. I sprinkle it on top, and wait for it to start sinking before I stir it. I don't add any sugar, but if I did it would just be a pinch of cane sugar, and not until after the yeast is dissolved. Something about osmotic pressure.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Did you read this article of recent?


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/correctly-rehydrating-dry-yeast.html

 

[flars]

Brewing yeast is not proofed. Active dry bread yeast can be proofed if you suspect the viability but it doesn't need to be proofed either.

Dry brewing yeast is rehydrated.

on rehydration: http://www.lallemandbrewing.com/products/brewing-yeast/

Lallemand Has the rehydration procedure for each one of their yeasts in the technical data sheet for each yeast. I haven't looked at them all but suspect the procedure is the same for all of the ale yeasts.

"Rehydration of BRY-97 is recommended for use, and will reduce
osmotic stress on the yeast when rehydrated and pitched in liquid
form. Rehydration guidelines are quite simple, and present a
much lower risk of contamination than a starter, which is
unnecessary with dried active yeast.
Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of 10 times its weight in clean,
sterilized water at 30-35°C (86-95F). Do not use wort, or distilled or
reverse osmosis water, as loss in viability will result. DO NOT STIR.
Leave undisturbed for 15 minutes, then stir to suspend yeast
completely, and leave it for 5 more minutes at 30-35°C. Then
adjust temperature to that of the wort and inoculate without
delay.
Attemperate in steps at 5-minute intervals of 10°C to the
temperature of the wort by mixing aliquots of wort. Do not allow
attemperation to be carried out by natural heat loss. This will take
too long and could result in loss of viability or vitality."

I rehydrate ever since the first time I used dry yeast. I poured the dry yeast into the carboy which had 4 inches of foam from the aeration. Later in the day I saw a mound of rehydrating yeast sitting on top of the foam. I swirled the yeast in but ever since rehydrated so the yeast poured through the foam.

 

[McGarnigle]

The HBT Correctly Rehydrating Dry Yeast Post:

Start about 2 hours before pitching. This is about the time it takes to naturally cool 1 cup (236ml) of boiling water to 95F (35C).

Lallemand:

Attemperate in steps at 5-minute intervals of 10°C to the
temperature of the wort by mixing aliquots of wort. Do not allow
attemperation to be carried out by natural heat loss. This will take
too long and could result in loss of viability or vitality.

Truth is, there doesn't seem to be a consensus.

 

[owmatooth]

I've yet to attempt attemperation

 

[troypolla]

Sanitize the yeast pack and pitch it dry. Never had a problem

 

[kh54s10]

Rehydration is best. I have read that you do not want to put the yeast into a sugar or DME solution because it will adversely affect the cell membrane. You just want water. I just use tap water at the correct temperature. I have also read that the yeast will be at their best in 30 minutes. Longer than that and they consume the nutrients added in manufacturing and will actually be weaker if they are left much longer.

Pitching dry is said to kill of as much as 50% of the cells. I have seen directions on packs that tell you to pitch dry. I then went to the manufacturer's website and there they recommend rehydrating???

I have pitched dry with good results, but noticed a day to a day and a half lag time. Rehydrated yeast has taken off in 4-12 hours.